Natural House In Costa Rica Is Incredibly Overlooking The Ocean

Costa Rica-based firm Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture completed the design for a home on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The owners of the house, the Hoogen-Nahome family, were dreaming of an aesthetic residence on the incredible hill, overlooking the ocean.

The biggest challenge of the project was that the plot of land was predominantly comprised of a very steep slope, and the ocean could only be seen from the upper-mid stage of the site. Surprisingly, the architects saw this as an opportunity rather than a constraint and immediately considered an architectural response that was appropriate for these conditions.

The team originally explored the possibility of creating large retaining walls and cutting back the soil in order to place the house, a technique typically employed for the nearby buildings. Ultimately, they decided to do the exact opposite thing and allow the slope, the earth, the vegetation, the water, and the animals to flow underneath the house.

"We essentially lifted the house up into the air on a series of piles which gives the impression that it's floating above the hillside. By doing this, we saved the immense cost of creating soil retention walls around the site." the architects said.

A very delicate intervention consisted of allowing the terrain to breathe while providing spectacular views towards the ocean from the key location on the hill.

The materials used in the construction perfectly integrates the construction into the natural surroundings. Nature shade wood and bamboo sticks walls and terraces are completed with fluid fabrics in bright contrast colors.

Light is flooding the space on the great windows, the doors and the terraces day and night. The decor is completed with natural fiber lamps and neutral color accessories.